Hugh M. Parshall

Hugh M. "Doc" Parshall (December 21, 1898 – November 29, 1950) was an American harness racing driver, horse trainer, and veterinarian who won the Hambletonian Stakes twice and was among the sport's leading drivers during the 1930s.

Early life and education Hugh Maynard Parshall was born in Hillsboro, Ohio, United States, on December 21, 1898.

His father provided him with $500 to attend college, but he used the money instead to purchase a filly pacer and began training her for competition. Parshall launched his driving career in 1920 with Princess Mac, a bay mare he acquired for $150. Competing at local fairs across six towns, he recorded three victories in six starts before selling her for $1,400. He returned the original $500 to his father, took the profit, and enrolled to study veterinary medicine.

Career Doc Parshall gained further experience with another one-horse pacing stable, driving Fondabelle beginning in 1921. He campaigned his first public stable in 1923. During the early part of his career, he devoted his racing to the Ohio and Central States circuits before appearing at Grand Circuit meetings. In late 1927, he moved his training operation from Washington Court House to the Champaign County fairgrounds in Urbana, Ohio, where more stalls were available for his growing stable. Parshall set a new all-time record in 1930 with 76 victories in a single season.

Hambletonian Stakes In his 1934 campaign, he had a pair of three-year-olds in his stable, Lord Jim and Muscletone. Parshall, then 35, was the youngest driver ever to win the harness race at the time. The race marked the first time brothers finished first and second in the Hambletonian. His stable included Chief Counsel, the world champion three-year-old pacer, Peter Astra, the champion two-year-old trotter, and Blackstone, the leading two-year-old pacer who won 11 of 12 starts.

Parshall entered Peter Astra in the 1939 Hambletonian Stakes, where the colt earned him his second victory in the event. He joined Ben White and Henry Thomas as the only drivers at that time to have won the classic more than once. After leading the standings in previous seasons, he finished second in 1940 behind Harry Fitzpatrick with 39 races won, and also trailed him in heat victories. Parshall, however, retained his position as the top money-winning driver with over $47,000. That year, he drove Chief Counsel to a time of 1:57 3/4, then a world championship record for three-year-old pacers.

Race starter and semi-retirement He accepted a position as a race starter during the summer of 1943. He limited his racing activities in 1943 to the pacer King's Counsel and worked as an official at six meetings. Parshall and Vermont horseman E. T. Cray jointly owned King's Counsel, who had success during his two seasons under Parshall's guidance. In September 1943, the three-year-old pacing colt was sold to E. J. Baker for $20,000. At the end of the 1943 season, Parshall had been the Grand Circuit's number one race-winning driver 14 times.

While serving as trainer for Hayes Fair Acres Stable, he hand-picked every horse in the stable.

Retirement In the winter of 1949, he suffered a heart attack while on vacation in Redlands, California.

Death Hugh M. Parshall died on November 29, 1950, in Urbana, Ohio, United States.

Legacy Parshall was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Trotter in 2004.